Life Faster than the Speed of Light
by JuliaBeth
Summary: A/U: Riker's 14 year old daughter joins him aboard the Enterprise. Danger, puppy love and the usual teenage angst awaits her as she struggles to grow up on the Galaxy-class ship.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: This fic is A/U and starts near the beginning of the series. In it, Riker is 32 at the start of the series. This is my first attempt at a Star Trek:TNG fic. So please read and review and let me know what you think!

Thanks!

* * *

Commander Will Riker was in an exuberant mood as he strode from the Bridge to the Transport room. It was the first time since he had been stationed on Betazed that he was able to bring his daughter, Amelia, to his assignment. He had never wanted to be the type of father that only showed up when it was convenient and left when his 'real' life took off like his father had, but at 18 he hadn't been ready to be a father either. In 14 years, this was only the second assignment that would allow him to bring her with him. He had done a better job of being there than Kyle had, but that wasn't saying much. Shore leaves, talking to her whenever possible, he had done the best he could, but it wasn't enough. Obviously. She had spent the last shore leave with him calling him 'Will' and acting as though he was the stupidest life form in the universe.

In fact, their last conversation had ended with him asking if she was excited to come aboard the Enterprise and her responding, "Let's see, I have to leave Nana and Pop, all my friends, and uproot my life to live on some dinky little starship so that you can play 'Daddy'. Sounds great, Will." His name sounded like a curse falling from her lips.

She had lived with her maternal grandparents since his assignment on Betazed had ended. His assignments since then had been unstable for family life and her mother, Stacy's life was entirely unsuitable to raising a child. It was ironic that his career had kept them apart so much, since it was her impending birth that had caused him to straighten up his life, apply for Starfleet Academy, and get back on the track he had dreamed of before Kyle had taken off, leaving him to fend for himself at fifteen. But now he had a second chance. They could make up for lost time.

Deanna had tried to counsel him the night before that 14 year old Amelia was probably going to be harder to win over than the 7 year old he had said goodbye to when he left Betazed. He had taken her warning, but it didn't dim his mood. Of course it would be difficult adjusting to each other again, but she was his daughter and he was determined this was going to work.

He never slowed his steps as he bounded on the transporter deck, calling the coordinates to O'Brien.

* * *

That's why it was such a surprise when he returned three hours later, sans daughter and burning with fury.

Deanna had felt it almost the minute he had materialized on the transporter pad. She normally blocked out the feelings of the crew to respect their privacy, but his anger was so great it had gotten past her defenses. She request permission to leave the bridge and met him at his quarters. She saw him striding down the hall, jaw set, eyes flashing.

"They didn't show," he snapped, stalking into his quarters to the subspace communicator.

Deanna took the fact that he didn't order the door closed to be an invitation and followed him in, the door shutting behind her.

"Where is Amelia?" He said as way of a greeting the moment retired Fleet Captain Andrew Henson's image appeared on the screen.

"She isn't with you?" The confused older gentleman asked.

"Would I be contacting you if she was?" Will shot back. "What happened? Did she convince you not to send her?"

"No," Henson replied, his concern growing. He and Will had always had a healthy respect for each other, not this angry confrontation he was getting now. "Anastasia wanted to take Mel to meet you on Omicron Ceti on her way to Magna Roma for an archaeological dig."

"You LET Stacy take her?" Will ask, incredulously.

"She is the girl's mother," Henson replied. "And don't you go disparaging my daughter, William. A chimp would be a better father than you've been. Both of you should have just left well enough alone."

"Be that as it may," Will replied, choosing to ignore the barb. "They didn't show."

"What? Maybe you just missed them."

"I waited three hours," he said. "They weren't there."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Was the steely answer.

"Well, then, we should contact Anastasia," Henson answered.

"I'll do that," Will snapped. He quickly took the information and snapped the communicator off without as much as a goodbye.

"Do you have Amelia?" was his greeting to his ex.

"No," Anastasia Henson answered. "I thought you were supposed to take custody of her. To live on your little starship." Well, that explained where Amelia's attitude was coming from.

"And I would have, had you and she been on Omicron Ceti as arranged," Will replied.

"We were there, Will, you weren't," Stacy shot back. "You were the one who was delayed, remember? Anyway, I left her there, at the café like Father told me to."

"You left our daughter alone on a stranger planet," he cried. "You were SUPPOSED to stay with her. That's turning over custody, not just dumping her in a cafe and continuing along your way!"

"You weren't there and I had to go or lose my spot. She is 14. That is more than old enough to sit alone in a café for three hours, waiting on you to make time for her," she replied.

"Oh, don't start with that. She wasn't there," he said. "I looked for her for three hours, Stacy. If this is some kind of…, lesson to me, then I get it. Tell me where she is."

Stacy's face had lost all color. "I left her sitting at the first table to the right of the entrance. She had her backpack and was reading a book. Father said you would be there in three hours. She swore she would sit right there and read until you came for her."

Will felt ill, his anger turned to fear, his head dropping. He had seen the red bag hanging on the back of a chair, a book lying on the table. He had thought it looked familiar but didn't pay it much attention. It had still been there when he left, after scouring the café and the shops nearby for 3 hours.

"Will? Please!"

He looked up at the screen. "Don't worry, Stace. I'll find her." He shut off the communicator and turned to face Deanna.

"Will," she started, but words failed her. Every scenario racing through his mind could be true. Amelia could have simply wandered off, she could have purposely hidden, or worst of all, she could have been taken. "I'll go," she said, before he could ask. It had been years since she had seen the little girl, but maybe she could still pick up something from her.

After explaining the situation to Captain Picard and seeking his permission, Riker and Troi returned to Omicron Ceti to look for Amelia.

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Please read and review.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: This fic is A/U and starts near the beginning of the series. In it, Riker is 32 at the start of the series. This is my first attempt at a Star Trek:TNG fic. So please read and review and let me know what you think!

Thanks!

* * *

Amelia sat in the dark cell. There were three other girls there with her, but not all were human. There was a Deltan, a Trill, both somewhere between 10 and 12 years old, and most sicken, another human, 5 year old girl who said her name was Dorian. The girl had pressed herself to Amelia's side almost the moment that Amelia had been thrown into the tiny cell. They had all been taken from Omicron Ceti but at different times, Amelia finishing out what they called 'the shipment'. From what she could gather, they were to be sold by the men that captured them as brides, or rather slaves. She had overheard them talking about 'damaged goods' before they threw her in there. Everyone but her seemed to be in good health, if scared. She had tried to kick one of the men who had grabbed her, resulting in him grabbing her foot and twisting it until she had heard and felt a sickening pop.

That had been four hours earlier. She had only stepped outside for a moment. Just once. That's all it had taken. They had to have been watching her. Tears threaten to spill over her cheeks from both pain and fear.

"Are you scared, Amelia?" the young girl by her side asked. She had finally given up crying herself, as it just seemed to irritate their captors.

Amelia shook her head. It wouldn't do to upset the others again. They could only get out of there through clear thinking. "No, Dorian, my leg just hurts."

"I miss my mommy," Dorian said.

"I know, Sweetie, but it's okay, you'll see her again."

"Don't lie to her," the Trill girl snapped. "We're going to sold as slaves. She'll never see her 'mommy' again."

"Shut up," Amelia replied sharply. She put her arm around the little girl. "You'll see your mommy again soon."

"How do you know?" The young Deltan asked.

"Because my Daddy will find us. He'll always come for me," she said.

"Well isn't that nice for you," the Trill said, burying her head in her arms. No one would be looking for her and while she would never admit it, she hoped Amelia was right.

The Deltan girl slid over next to Amelia and put her hand in Amelia's causing the pain in her leg to all but disappear. It was just an illusion, but for now, Amelia would take it. She just hoped that she wasn't lying and that Will would find them before it was too late.

* * *

Captain Picard had instructed Will to take Tasha Yar and Worf with him and Deanna to search for Amelia. For once he was thankful for the Captain's level head as Tasha and Deanna had managed to find out that not just Amelia was missing but 3 other girls had gone missing from the same café over the last three days. Two hysterical mothers that Deanna had been drawn to had given that information and also that little was being done to retrieve them.

"Obviously these disappearances are connected," Tasha said. "Do you think they could have been abducted?"

"Yes," Will said. "Amelia wouldn't stay hidden for this long, nor would she try to run away on a planet she wasn't familiar with."

"I think you should talk to the owner," Deanna said, getting feelings of guilt from the area of the counter.

"Do you think he's involved?" Will asked.

She nodded. "If he's not, he knows who is."

They approached the counter where the weedy looking man tried to run, but Worf was quicker, reaching out one long arm and jerking the man back to the counter.

"I ain't got to tell you nothin'," the man spat.

"You're right," Will said. "Worf, rip his head off."

Worf growled low, knowing the Commander was bluffing. "Gladly."

"What d'ya wanna know?" The man offered hurriedly.

"Four girls have disappeared from this place in three days. Don't tell me you don't know anything about that," Will said.

"What do you care? Federation has no authority here."

"One of those girls is my daughter and if I don't get her back happy and healthy, you'll be sorry," Will said, menacingly.

"Don't count on it. She's long gone," he scoffed.

"Where?"

"I don't know."

"Worf." Will motioned to the man as if giving his junior officer permission to hurt the man.

"I'm telling you, Man, I don't know," the man babbled. "Four guys come in here, they tell me they're looking for kids, you know, to sell. Preferably girls and I was to look the other way and not know nothin'. They take off in a shuttlecraft, no insignias on it, just a big picture of a bird."

"And what do you get out this arrangement?" Tasha asked.

"I get stay in business."

"Disgusting," she replied.

"How long ago?" Will asked.

"Three, maybe four hours," he answered. No more information to be gained from him, Worf dropped him roughly.

"We should find the planets that still allow slave trades and start with the nearest one," Worf said.

"I agree," Will said. He looked at the red backpack still hanging on the back of the chair. He picked it up and clutched it. "Enterprise," he touched his communicator. "Four to beam up." It pained him to leave the café owner behind, but he was right, Federation laws didn't apply there.

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